“Come on back with me for a minute. See where we warm up,” he said, nodding toward the back of the barn.
Nodding, she followed, suppressing a shiver as he touched a hand to the small of her back and guided her. They arrived at the Anderson ranch just a few moments ago, and she was surprised at the crowd gathering. She hadn’t realized the fights were so popular, but she supposed she should have realized. In a town as small as Eagle Creek, there wasn’t much entertainment available for the residents unless they went to Cheyenne.
They reached a horse stall that already held Ian, Seth, and Amelia, and Jax walked to the bench to drop his bag. The stall was spacious, but with the three huge fighters in it, it felt very small. There was a small punching bag hanging in the corner, but other than that and the bench, it was empty of any furnishings.
“You sure you’re prepared?” Ian asked Jax, and her attention snapped to them. He wasn’t ready? She didn’t want him to get hurt if he wasn’t in a good position to fight.
Jax rolled his eyes. “Please. I only missed a few days of training with an opponent. That’s not enough to throw me off my game.”
Three days… so he hadn’t trained with anyone since they saw each other again. She pushed back the guilt and unease she felt at the thought. Him not training had nothing to do with her.
“Don’t worry,” Amelia said softly beside her. “I’ve seen Jax fight before and he’s really good. He’s telling the truth when he says missing a few days won’t hurt.”
“I’m not worried,” Piper replied, forcing a smile.
“Do you want to sit with me?” Amelia asked in a musical English accent. “Cammie and Alex aren’t coming tonight, and I wouldn’t mind the company.”
“Yeah, that’d be nice, thanks. My friend Kelly is coming, but she won’t be here until later.”
“We’ll make sure we save her a spot,” Amelia reassured her.
Watching as the Amelia made her way to Seth, Piper didn’t realize Jax had come to stand beside her, and she jumped when she noticed him. “Dammit. Make a little noise when you walk or something.”
“I’ll remember that,” he replied with a half-smile, dark green eyes taking her in. She felt that look like a tangible touch on her skin, and she shivered. “Amelia is nice. She’s a good one to spend the evening with.”
“Is she one of you?”
“Would it matter if she was?” he asked, expression intense.
“Of course not,” she answered, surprised by the question. “I’m just curious. Doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.”
“She’s human,” he said, darting a quick look Amelia’s way. “I don’t think she will be for long, though. Seth will probably turn her soon.”
Eyebrows shooting up, she asked, “Y’all can do that? Turn a human into a shifter?”
“Some can. Actually, a lot can, but some types can’t. Eagles are one of those that can’t. Disappointed?”
“What? No. I love eagles, but that doesn’t mean I want to be one. You are, and that’s enough.”
“So I’m enough for you, the way I am?”
“What?” she replied, realizing what she’d said. “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just saying it’s cool that you’re an eagle. You know. Supernatural shit and all. It’s interesting.”
Fucking hell. Clamping her mouth shut to stop her babbling, she looked at him defiantly, daring him to call her out on the way she backpedaled. But all he did was chuckle, the look in his eyes affectionate.
Surprising her, he darted in and kissed her quick. “For luck. I wanted to make it longer, but I didn’t want to risk taking another layer of lipstick, especially since you put a fresh coat on.”
She struggled to find her words, but before she could, Amelia joined them. “You ready to find a spot, Piper? I know there’s a good crowd out there, and being the owner doesn’t guarantee me good seats.”
Watching as Jax winked at her and turned back to the others, Piper nodded and followed Amelia back into the main barn. “You own this place?” she asked, raising her voice over the crowd.
Amelia nodded as she led them to a spot on the bleachers about halfway up, putting a sweater she brought with her on Piper’s other side, saving the spot for Kelly. “Yes, I own the whole ranch.”
“What made you decide to start hosting fights?” Piper asked, curious as to how an Englishwoman started hosting fights in her barn in small town Wyoming.
“This was my uncle’s ranch. He started the fights. I inherited it when he died, came here to settle up the property, met Seth, and well—the rest is history.”
That made more sense. Piper nodded as a man stepped into the ring to announce the first match, feeling unsettled inside. Some of Amelia’s story felt eerily familiar. A relative passing away, coming here to settle up, falling in love…